Dodge Charger 500 (1969)
Most muscle car fans know the Charger lineup well, including the wild Charger Daytona from 1969. But Daytona’s predecessor, the Charger 500, was far less known and less successful. In the late ’60s, Dodge was desperate to race in NASCAR and the Charger was the perfect candidate. However, since NASCAR cars already approached high speeds of almost 200 mph on newly constructed superspeedway tracks, aerodynamics played a vital role in a car’s performance and results (via Motor Trend).
With a deep grille and concave rear glass, the standard Charger could have been more aerodynamic. And despite powerful engines and sound drivers, it just couldn’t achieve the speeds required to reach the top. Dodge decided to introduce a limited-edition Charger 500 (named the 500 because it was produced in that many examples). It had a flushed grille, fixed headlights, and regular rear glass to improve aerodynamics. The Charger 500 had two engines, a standard 440 and the optional 426 Hemi. Since the Daytona was much more successful and exciting, the Charger 500 was soon forgotten by everyone except hardcore Mopar muscle guys.